2007 hasn't been the best year for me or my family. Still, I'm counting my blessings- things could have certainly been worse. I'm looking forward to 2008, with all the new and wonderful things it could bring. I hold a lot of hope for the next year. The beginning of 2007 felt like it would be a bad year, and it was. The beginning of 2008 feels pretty good, so far.

This next year I am praying my dad receives the kidney transplant he needs. I'm hoping my writing continues to get better and I continue to pick up more fans as time goes on. I hope to find even more awesome mommy bloggers to read and comment on. I hope to get better about commenting, ha!

Just as 2007 was the year of suck, 2008 will be the year of hope. At least, I hope so.

Happy New Year, Shak-ers!

Hello everyone! I have missed being here the past week but had to take some time to devote to my children. Two of my sons have had pneumonia since Christmas.

For my son Lou, this is the third time he has had pneumonia since Halloween. I am very concerned about that. I wondered if it could be one of those superbugs but the doctor brushed that thought off. He thinks it is a new illness each time but I still wonder. He said if Lou gets pneumonia again, we will start looking for answers as to why he keeps coming down with it.

Little Baby D also had pneumonia this time. He ended up worse than Lou and I had to take Baby D to the hospital. Luckily he didn't have to stay, but they did give him an antibiotic shot that is supposed to be very strong. He is doing better but still gets wiped out after exerting any energy. I literally held him for five days straight. I have an appointment to take both of them back for a re-check on Thursday.

Apparently pneumonia has been the big thing this winter. The hospital told me they are jam packed with cases of pediatric pneumonia and it has been the worst year ever for this illness. Very scary.

I am sorry for being such a downer here! I just wanted to let everyone know why I have been away from Shakadoo. I also wanted to tell my story to find out if any of you have any insight on a three year old having pneumonia three times in two months. If you would, please share your thoughts because I am really worried about Lou. I don't know if I need to take a more aggressive stand with the pediatrician or just wait and see what happens next.

I do hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Enjoy your New Year's Eve celebrations tonight and please be safe. Happy New Year!

I, like Boogiemum, have been trying to use my own canvas bags instead of plastic bags. My mom is a teacher and has approximately 1,759,821 tote bags. She gave a bunch to me so I could use them for my shopping. But I've had similar experiences to what happened to Boogiemum:

As I grab all 800 of my canvas bags… “I would like to put as much of this stuff as I can in these.  Please NO PLASTIC BAGS.”

So she starts piling up stuff at the end, not putting them in any bags until I finish unloading my cart and go down and do it myself. Then she stops ringing up and starts putting stuff IN PLASTIC BAGS and then putting them in my canvas bags.

HELLO?  Kind of defeats the purpose.

Ugh, I know how that is. I don't know what it is that many cashiers seem to have against canvas bags, but asking them to use your canvas bags usually throws them for a total loop. I usually end up having to bag my own stuff. I don't mind bagging my own stuff, but when I'm at a store that's supposed to bag my stuff for me, I wish they'd just do their job. Is that too much to ask?

[photo: ecobags.com]

This was probably my very first grown-up Christmas where I was more excited about the stuff I got for everyone else, than I was to see what everyone else got for me. As a matter of fact, I didn't really care what people got for me because really, I have everything I want. I'm a simple girl. Give me a Wii, a nifty computer, an awesome digital camera, tons of yarn, crochet hooks in every size, a sleeck black Honda to drive around in, a big screen TV, a nice house, a camera phone, an iPod, and a closet full of hot mama clothing and I'm good. I really don't need much, ya know. And I have all that stuff. So really, anything else would be superfluous.

But I crocheted my dad a NINJA. Dad's Dilbert I bought him last year has been lonely, he needs a cool ninja pal to hang out with. And I crocheted my uncle a sack 'o' nuts. He really NEEDED that, ya know. So I was excited to see their reactions to all my hard work.

And they were excited, silly as it may sound. My family likes weird stuff, so they were all about the random crocheted items I got them. As I read everyone's blog posts about Christmas, I'm filled with a warm, happy feeling. It seems like everyone had a good Christmas, regardless of what they spent or how they celebrated. I'm so glad. All the worry was worth it, right mamas?

Undoubtedly this holiday season, you either received or gave gift cards in lieu of purchasing or receiving an actual product. Gift cards are all the rage these days and their growth is predicted to continue to increase.
Ellen Cannon an Editor at Bankrate.com says in her article Gift Card Trends: Gift Cards Are Everywhere that

"Gift cards are booming -- on the buyer and seller sides of the market. According to Comdata, in the 2007 holiday season, the average gift card buyer will spend $203 on cards, a $23 increase from 2006. And the National Retail Federation's 2007 Holiday Consumer Survey found that 54 percent of consumers said they want to receive a gift card as a holiday gift."

That's good news for the retailers who are hoping that Post- Christmas shopping will save the season.USA Today reports,

"Retailers are rolling out after-Christmas discounts, hoping bargain shoppers and gift-card splurgers can help salvage the season."

But what do you do with gift cards that you just don't think you will use? I for one have a drawer full of gift cards that I never seem to have with me when I want to purchase something? Then to my horror one day, I actually took one with me and found out that the $100.00 card (from 2 years ago) had penalties for each month that it was not used and was now reduced to about a $35.00 actual cash value!  since then I tend to give cash rather than cards on most occasions or buy the ones that I am sure have no expiration or penalties.

But back to what to do when you don't shop at the stores from which the gift card was issues? Well today I checked out some sites that offer solutions to that problem. I had no idea that there were websites that   allow you to manage gift card balances and to swap gift cards with other consumers. What a great idea. Swap A Gift is one such site that for just a one time fee of $1.99, you can list your gift card for swap or sale. Plastic Jungle offers a secure place to buy gift cards at reduced prices as well as sell or trade. And finally, Leverge Card another site that allows you to

• Purchase gift cards from top retailers

• Earn interest on gift cards you register with Leverage 

• Swap gift cards for free 

• Manage gift card balances, frequent flyer miles and loyalty programs from one computer screen with no downloads needed 

• Receive targeted offers and savings from retailers based on gift cards you have, as well as your loyalty program and calendar info.

Hallelujah! No more unused cards that sit in my drawer and collect dust. If anyone has used a card swap company before, share your experience here with your fellow Shak-ers.

Ahhh, Christmas Eve is upon us and it's almost time for all things Christmas to reach it's peak. For most self respecting  mom's I know, the shopping has all been done, and presents are wrapped and sorted for the last minute chore of hauling them out after the kiddos all hit the hay tonight. The food is all planned and prepared for the Holiday feast and the house is just about straightened before the tornado of wrapping paper and toys are strewn about in the wee hours of the morning to start the cleaning all over again.

But for the guys, the shopping season is just beginning. Today marks the BEGINNING of Christmas shopping for most males in America. My other Shak cohort Kathylynn and I usually make this day a tradition of heading to the mall to point and laugh at all the men who are wondering around aimlessly, looking like deers caught in the headlights and hoping not to run into our own husbands in the process of their last minute shopping sprees!

Their method of gift selection is usually started by heading to the candle and bath store to choose several different smelly lotions, and then finish up with a stop at Vitoria's Secret for their our last BIG gift! But I have to say, some men have gotten a little trickier throughout the years. For instance, my husband tells me his shopping strategy includes seeking out the cutest sales clerk and have her follow him around the store and pick out things she would like. Believe it or not, this strategy has actually been successful on a few occasions. It beats more lotions and underwear!

This makes me wonder how being a male, Santa Claus actually succeeds at making plans so far ahead and is so thoughtful and conscientious to be sure to deliver just the right gifts for each child in the family? Well I think I finally found my answer! I Think Santa Claus Is A Woman was sent to me from Off Beat News and Videos and I laughed all the way through it. Here is just an excerpt...

"I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe he's a she. Think about it. Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy could possibly pull it all off!

For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve. It's as if they are all frozen in some kind of Ebenezerian Time Warp until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24th, when they -- with amazing calm -- call other errant men and plan for a last-minute shopping spree. 

Once at the mall, they always seem surprised to find only Ronco products, socket wrench sets, and mood rings left on the shelves. (You might think this would send them into a fit of panic and guilt, but my husband tells me it's an enormous relief because it lessens the 11th hour decision-making burden.) On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman. Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the bag."

Be sure to read on for more amusement. Happy Holidays!

We here at Shakadoo would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support and friendships. Each and every one of you have brought us to where we are, and inspire us daily. Thank you for all of your suggestions, comments and loyalty. It has been a pleasure getting to know so many of you, and we look forward to the opportunity to make even more friendships through out 2008.

We wish you a joyous and safe Holiday and of course a prosperous New Year!

Kathy, Kathylynn, and Bill

Reports of sluggish sales by retailers are creating great prices for last minute shoppers both in stores and on-line. If you have money left to spend, now is the time to get out there and get those deals!

One such sale kicks off today at Gymboree. Their Big Red Balloon semi-annual sale is in full swing, so if you still need Holiday gifts check them out. Avoid the crowds by shopping on line, what a beautiful thing!

This will be my last post until after Christmas, so I guess I'd better make it a good one. This has been a great and terrible year. I've lost jobs, been through the death of my grandma, and have taken the kids for more X rays this year (another one today, in fact!) than any other year of my life.

But great things have happened, too. I signed on here with Shak and made some great friends and have been working for some awesome people. I've "given birth" to two websites of my own- Home Ec 101 and Music City Bloggers. I've felt the power of my friends to pull me out of what could have been the worst depression of my life. And I've watched my kids grow, which I have every year for the past 13, but this year after losing my grandma, I realized just *how* precious this time is.

2007 is wrapping up, and I wanted to tell you all- no matter how bad or great 2007 was, 2008 is a whole new year with infinite possibilities. Use that time wisely. Time is short. I know it's a cliche, but it is so true.

Make sure you take time to sing and dance and be silly. We all need more silly in our lives. 

Don't forget to take time for your friends and family. They'll be the ones to catch you when you fall. They'll soften that blow for you and help you dust yourself off.

And with that, I'm off to spend 4 glorious days with my friends and family. Have a good one, Shak readers!

It is interesting how life changes your perspective on things. One thing that has not changed is my favorite part of Christmas. That would be Christmas Eve.

When I was a child, my mom, dad, sister and I would exchange our presents on Christmas Eve. We did this because we always had to rush off to my grandmother's house on Christmas day. Exchanging our gifts the night before allowed us more time to enjoy the experience. It was always a special evening for my family and now cherished memories for me.

For the past ten years or so, I have had the Christmas Eve get together at my house. My mom, dad, sister and her family all come over to be together again like we once used to be. My parents are now divorced so Christmas Eve is one of the very few times of the year that I see my mom and dad at the same time. It might sound silly but when I am with both of them and my sister at the same time, all is right with the world. It brings back the secure feeling from childhood.

I enjoy Christmas day as well. With three sons, the excitement of Santa has come back to my life. It is a crazy unwrapping frenzy and my boys are so full of enthusiasm. The funny thing is, after we are done with that we have to rush off to my grandmother's house just as we did when I was a child.

Christmas Eve is probably my favorite day of the year. It is full of wonderful memories and each year new memories are added. It is relaxing and full of family. What is your favorite part of Christmas?

Dan Fogelberg died on December 16th, and I'm still processing it a bit. I have never been able to listen to the song "Leader Of The Band" without thinking of my own dad and getting teary eyed:

I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go --
I thank you for the kindness
And the times when you got tough
And, papa, I dont think I
Said I love you near enough

You will be missed, Mr. Fogelberg.

How often do you have a conversation with a stranger that impacts your day? Do you allow your fellow human beings to touch your life through brief encounters? I do and am better off for it. Here are a few examples of what I am talking about.

I seem to be a magnet for older gentlemen when I am at the grocery store. They start conversations with me and my first instinct is to nod politely and get on my busy way. Then I look in their eyes and see the need for human interaction. I end up chatting with them and am happy I did. At the end of the conversation, I can tell that they are a little less lonely. I realize that the conversation made my day a little brighter too.

Earlier this week, I had to go to the grocery store with all three of my sons. Usually I leave them home with Dad but this was during the work week so no such luck. My middle son was acting up in the store and eventually Baby D started getting fussy as well. It was a nightmare of a grocery trip except for three strangers that made it a little less painful. Three different people saw that I was having a difficult shopping experience and took the time to speak to me. Each of them made me smile and I appreciated their kindness. What a difference a stranger can make in your day.

A few weeks ago, I was picking up some take out food and was about to get back in my truck. An older woman was also approaching her car and told me to get in my truck first because it would take her awhile to get in her car. I said thank you and got settled in and was about to drive off. I glanced her way and saw that she finally got settled in her vehicle too. Our windows were down and when she saw my glance, she started telling me about her recent knee surgery. She was down in the dumps because it had already been four months since her surgery and she was still in a lot of pain. We chatted for a few minutes and I tried to give her some encouraging words. She seemed to be more optimistic by the end of the conversation and we said goodbye and parted ways. As I drove home, I thought about how nice it was to have had a meaningful conversation with another human being that I crossed paths with by chance. I think our meeting ended up meaning a lot to both of us.

Everyone is so busy and caught up in the drama of their own lives. Far too often we don't even notice the people around us. Neighborhoods are not what they used to be and are more like "strangerhoods" these days. What happened to our sense of community and reaching out to our fellow man?

There are a lot of people that take the time to connect with others. There are also many people where it is very obvious that they never bother. As you are going through your busy day, take a look at the people around you. A smile, nod or nice word from you might be all they need to have a happier day.   

It is literally all over my feed reader. Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant and Lynne Spears' book deal is on hold. That's right. Someone gave Lynne Spears a book deal, to write a book about....parenting. If that's not the biggest laugh I have ever heard, I don't know what is. Brittney clearly has no clue whatsoever on how to be a good parent- and you learn a lot about parenting from watching your own parents, and deciding what is good, you'll do and what is bad, you won't do. Right?

Seriously, I'm appalled. Hey, Thomas Nelson! If you're looking for a parent who actually does, you know, real parenting to write a book on parenting, I'm your gal. And I'm in town, too, so meetings with me are no problem. :D

[photo: Getty Images]

I was watching the news last evening and suddenly the Fisher Price doctors kit that my son plays with constantly appears on the television screen. Well, what do you know? It contains lead!

A Consumers Report article specifically targeted the blood pressure cuff in the set. I sat there listening to the report with a sinking feeling in my stomach. My son has been playing with this set for a year now and he absolutely loves it. I felt really horrible as I got up and gathered the pieces of the set and threw them in the trash. Eventually my son will ask where is "doctor tools" are. I will tell a little white lie and say they must be lost. How do you explain to a three year old that someone out there is allowing our children to be poisoned?

I take some comfort in the fact that my son had a lead screening over the summer. The screening showed that his lead levels were just fine. I have to take my 16 month old in for a lead screening too. He has played with this doctors set a lot as well so I am hoping for the best. He is at the age where he mouths everything.

Inmoneytoday.com provides some further information in their article "Lead, toys, and irony: Amazon.com pulls Fisher Price toy medical kit":

"Amazon.com has pulled the Fisher Price Medical Kit from its web site after a Consumer Reports article that questioned the lead content in the kit’s toy blood pressure cuff. Mattel has insisted that children can play doctor safely because the toy “meets the requirements set forth in the federal regulations and international consumer product safety standards, including the existing standards for lead content.” Note Mattel did not claim that the toy was free from lead."

Interior Style Home Giveaway

December 18^th-January 11^th

Love Skak, Baby and Interior Style Home has teamed up to offer Shak readers an exciting giveaway.

Interior Style Home is offering their Kids Set -  Monkey 100% melamine. Dishwasher safe, high heat resistant and shatterproof. Not microwave-safe. Set includes plate, spoon, fork, cup and bowl. Plate: 8" diameter. Bowl: 5.5" diameter.

Here is how to enter.....Click on over to Interior Style Home and find your favorite item and then leave a comment here as to what it is. I know it will be a difficult choice because of the beautiful things, but only choose one. My favorite is the Chelsea Cradle.

Be sure to check back at Love Shak, Baby the morning of January 12th to see if you are the lucky winner! The winner will be posted here and emailed.

This is a sticky post and will remain at the top. Just scroll down for daily new content.

Oh, Heth, how you make me laugh:

Ironically, yesterday, the day that I posted photos of our house decorated for Christmas, was the day that I took the tree down. Merry Christmas kids! The tree is past it's expiration date! I'd had enough of the needles on the floor and was beginning to worry about the flammability factor. Nothing says Peace on Earth like watching your house go up in smoke!

Ah, Christmas. If it's not a decorating dilemma, it's cookie-baking drama, or something else. I think we all get struck with cases of Grinchiness, like Heth talks about in her post. But being able to pick it all back up and laugh at the situation might just be the best Christmas gift of all.

Yesterday in the WorkShak, I wrote Does Working From Home Cause Your Marriage Distress?. After writing it, I really started thinking about some important issues. Apparently my husband was thinking about it too and wanted to have a talk last evening.

Our talk went very well and we both were able to express different issues that were bothering us. We cleared the air and both promised to try and make some changes that were needed on both sides. I believe that the issues we discussed are probably some of the most common problems in marriages.

To sum it all up, he feels like I never have time for him and I feel like I never have time for myself. I think a lot of this comes down to "mom syndrome". Moms are pulled at constantly by all family members throughout the day. The kids need something every other minute. The house needs tending to. If you have a job, there is time to devote to it. Even the dog requires something at the most inconvenient moment!

When I do have a moment of peace, I tend to get very selfish and greedy with it! Although I love my husband, I generally don't use that moment to spend with him. I feel the need for space instead after being surrounded by needy little people all day. Is this purely selfish or is it a form of self preservation?

On the flip side, my dear hubby certainly has his share of faults. He is not a talker. He does not like drawn out conversation just as the majority of men do not. This leaves me feeling like he is not interested in me as a person but rather as a care taker of his domain. Why use my precious and rare moments of peace with someone that I don't think is horribly interested in anything I have to say?

During our discussion, we realized that we are in a vicious circle. We are not sure if the chicken or the egg came first. He resents this, I resent that. He acts this way because I act that way and vice versa.

I return to my conclusion that this is a common problem between husbands and wives. Life is so busy and this is especially true when you have young children. Something that my husband and I both agreed about is that we love each other very much. We realize the importance of making an effort not to let life get in the way of US.

If this hits home for you in any way, I urge you to jump out of the vicious circle too. Not only will getting out of the circle of resentments make your marriage happier now, it is also a good investment for the future. One day your children that keep you so busy now will be grown up and gone. What will be left for you then?   

Via Newscoma, the tackiest of tacky Christmas displays. Too funny!

I am finally finished with all of my Christmas shopping. What a job. This year seemed much harder since I was on nerve about making sure my daughter's toys were safe. Do you know that even the Chinese are buying toys from other countries because of all of the recalls.....

SHANGHAI, China - When freelance writer Wang Jian shops for toys for her 5-year-old son, she's happy to pay extra for Legos blocks and Japanese-brand train sets.

The reason, she and other parents say: Foreign brands enjoy a reputation for higher quality — a perception reinforced by the product scares of recent months.

I'm not sure why this surprised me but it did. You would think that they would raise the standards if their own people won't buy the stuff.

Hopefully you have most of your Christmas shopping all done. Some very ambitious people might have all of their gift wrapping completed as well. Personally, I still have to wrap all of my Christmas gifts. Here is a handy video for anyone that might need some tips for wrapping presents.

This is a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately. Thanks to my three boys, it has become a very stressful part of my life.

My older sons are five years apart. I had such high hopes that they would get along due to the age difference. I worked at a law firm when I was pregnant with my second son . One attorney there had two sons with a five year age difference. He told me several times how well they got along because there was no competition due to the age spacing. His sons were best buddies and he just knew I would be as lucky. Unfortunately, that imagined scenario went to heck in a hand basket!

My eight year old and three year old fight all of the time! There is a shriek from one of them at least every other minute. I can hardly complete a task without having to stop ten times to referee. I can only imagine what it is going to be like when my youngest boy gets in the action too.

iVillage's Parenting Secrets with Dr. Michele Borba has an article "Sibling Rivalry: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?". Here is one tip from her article:

"Don’t be too involved in those squabbles. The less involved you are in those sib tiffs the better. Your kids won’t use you as negotiator, rivalry will decrease (since they won’t accuse you of “taking sides”) and your kids will learn to rely on themselves to solve their own squabbles. While it’s absolutely fine to step in when you hear a blood-curdling cry (take it from a mom of three boys -- it cuts down dramatically on emergency room visits so please do) research also shows that kids see our involvement as “showing favoritism.” So step back."

That sounds like some excellent advice but it can be really hard not to interfere. The yelling will continue if I don't step in. Do you have any tips to share that have worked for you???

December's Group Writing Project over at Mama Blogga is "the best time of the year". I think there are a lot of people who think the holiday season is the best time of the year. I certainly enjoy the time spent with my friends and family, and I do enjoy the preparations- the cookie making, putting the Christmas tree up, making gifts for friends and family. The only problem is, it's so busy that time flies by without really getting a chance to enjoy the time. There's just too much to do.

Back to school time used to be my favorite time of the year- after a long, hot summer, getting back into school and school routines was a joy. But now that my kids are in school and summer has become much, much shorter (thanks year-round school people, grr!), I'm always sad that my kids are going back to school.

No, my favorite time of the year is spring. Anyone who reads me on Shakyard knows I'm somewhat of a weather nerd. Okay, a big weather nerd. I very well may blog over there more about weather than about gardening. I just love weather that much. And so much interesting weather happens in the spring! I love a good, wild thunderstorm crashing over my house and getting out the flashlights and the battery operated radio. I love the warmth and the growth and the renewal that happens in the spring. And is there anything sexier than putting the top down on your shiny red convertible on a warm spring day and buzzing all over town with a smile on your face and a song in your heart? No, no there isn't. Is there anything funnier than forgetting the convertible top is down and shouting out, "MOVE YOUR CAR, DUMMY!" at some slow-moving driver who also happens to have their windows down? No, no there isn't.

Ah, spring. Only 3 and a half more months. I can't wait.

The internet is such a great thing. You can meet people from all over the world. We all teach our children to only chat with their friends or people they know right? Well, I am betting that this couple that I read about today had done that.The title says it all...Couple Cheat On Each Other With Each Other ....

"Adnan and Sana Klaric, a Bosnian married couple, are now getting a divorce. They were both found cheating on each other with each other.

They chatted about their marriage troubles at an online chat room for hours. After getting a glimps of the love they were lacking in their marriage, both decided to meet up for a date. That is when each of them realized they were being unfaithful.

So word to the wise for you college students out there: Be sure to find out if the person you might cheat on your girlfriend/boyfriend with is not really your girlfriend/boyfriend."

I thought this was hilarious. Can you imagine the shock when they met face to face? I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall.

I always dread taking my children to their check-ups when I know they are going to get shots. It makes me feel guilty when I have to hold them down while someone pokes them with a needle. Although I realize it is for their own good, I still hate it.

Yesterday I had to take Baby D to his 15 month check-up. I knew he needed two immunization shots. He was very cooperative and happy during the doctor's examination. When the time came for the nurse to give him his shots, we put him on the table. He insisted on sitting up because he was interested in watching. We let him but I had a hold of his hands to make sure he didn't try and grab the needle.

To my amazement, he watched her give him two shots without even a wince. He did not cry or fuss in any way! Baby D handled those two shots better than his 8 year old brother would have. Even the nurse was very pleasantly surprised that he showed no reaction other than interest. He is one tough little dude. If only it were always this easy!